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Scientist may have developed gene therapy that effectively prevents AIDS but HIV may have mutated to bypass the new defenses. God, HIV, you are such a piece of … Hello, viewers. I hope you’re healthy and well out there, Julian here for DNews. Researchers at the Scripps Research Institute believe they are on track to gene therapy that will effectively render most strains of HIV impotent. The Human Immunodeficiency Virus works by targeting CD4+ T Cells which are white blood cells that play a key role in your adaptive immune system.

That’s the part that helps you fight infections. HIV latches onto them by grabbing on to the CD4 protein on the T Cells’ surface and then clamping down on another receptor called CCR5. Once it’s in position, it inserts its own RNA into the cell tricking it into making more viruses. It basically turns the good guy cells into zombies. Once enough T Cells are turned the infected person’s immune system is compromised and vulnerable and they have Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome or AIDS. Unfortunately, no effective vaccines have been developed yet.

The problem with retroviruses like HIV is they change and adapt quickly. It’s like whack-a-mole with the deadliest mole ever. Of course, there are many strands. A vaccine against one strand probably won’t be effective against others. Now though, scientists think they’re on to something. Dr. Michael Farzan and other researchers say they’ve created a tiny strand of DNA which when injected into muscle tissue stimulates the cells to synthesize a claw-shape protein. Now, for proteins shapes are everything. This claw is HIV’s worst nightmare. It’s simple enough that even if the virus changes, it likely won’t be able to shake the claw. The protein works by latching onto the CD4 and CCR5 binding sites on the virus leaving it adrift and unable to latch onto T Cells.

If it can’t latch on, it can’t replicate. Eventually, it’s broken down and disposed of harmlessly. This isn’t just some flash in a test tube either. They’ve already been testing this on four monkeys by giving them the gene therapy and then injecting them with a strain of HIV for lab monkeys called the Simian Human Immunodeficiency Virus. After nearly a year, the macaques are A okay. Now, they’re looking to treat infected monkeys to see if they can stop the virus from replicating further. If that’s a success, they’re looking to begin human trials. Now, don’t worry, they won’t be injecting humans with HIV to test it.

They’ll be giving the protein and gene to those who have HIV or those at high risk. As always, nothing is guaranteed until it happens but it looks promising. Of course, the world being what it is, researchers in Cuba believe they found a new strain of HIV that skips the CCR5 binding site and go straight for the one known as CXCR4. Normally, HIV transitions the CXCR4 protein after years during which time the host is relatively healthy. Once it switches though the descent to AIDS begins and this new strand which researchers believe is the combination of several other HIV subtypes fast tracks AIDS leading to earlier death.

It’s no more infectious than its predecessors but it might render the new treatment ineffective so one step forward and one step back. But keeping things on the positive tip, if scientist can keep this new strain from spreading then we may have an effective treatment for all the other variants of HIV in the pipeline. One day HIV may be some terrifying disease that only exists in history books and memories like Polio is to our grandparents. I hope I’m around to see that day. While this isn’t technically a vaccine, I’m sure the public will think of it as such and of course there will be skeptics.

Here to say once again that vaccines do not cause autism is trace because apparently that still needs to be said. Check it out over here. What’s your reaction to this news? Hopeful? Skeptical? What are your reasons? Let us know in the comments and I’ll see you next time on DNews. This episode of DNews is brought to you by the Toyota Prius. Let’s lead the way.